Permanent Makeup

Permanent makeup, also known as “micro-pigmentation,” is safe and effective, and a great way to always look your best.

Is Permanent Makeup Right for Me?

Permanent makeup is great for anyone who meets the following characteristics:

Wishes to look their best at all times

Works out, swims, or has very oily skin

Is busy with little time to devote to makeup

Has a scar to cover

Is a cancer survivor in need of camouflage

Has allergies to makeup

Is physically unable to apply makeup

What Happens During the Permanent Makeup Procedure?

Lisa Bourassa is a board-certified micropigmentation specialist who works with you to decide the best permanent makeup solution for your needs. The goal of permanent makeup is to match the desired shade of pencil or makeup you use and to create a shape that is aesthetically pleasing. Lisa sketches a tattoo in place with a cosmetic pencil so that you can see how your permanent makeup will appear on your face. She then gives you some color choices. A topical anesthetic may be applied to the area to help you remain comfortable. Natural pigments are then tattooed into the dermis of the skin using a state-of-the-art medically approved digital machine for precision and accuracy.

Your permanent makeup will appear darker immediately after your procedure, but the color will lighten over the next two or three weeks. There may also be some swelling from the anesthesia. You can resume normal activities immediately and apply makeup the following day.

How Much Does Permanent Makeup Cost in Palm Beach Gardens?

Palm Beach Facial Plastic Surgery currently works with CareCredit® to provide our patients with convenient financing options. Within a few hours of applying, you can be pre-approved for your cosmetic procedures.

Dr. Murphy is certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He specializes in facial plastic surgery procedures, such as lip augmentations, facelifts, rhinoplasty, and chin augmentation. Our aesthetician, Heather, specializes in skin rejuvenation treatments, such as IPL® Photorejuvenation, permanent makeup, and liquid facelifts. She can also work with you to find skin care products that help you maintain healthy, beautiful skin.

Heather is known for her soothing treatment, delivered with full understanding of what her patients want.

Permanent Makeup

Whether openly and boldly, or quietly and discreetly, people choose to have tattoos with the idea that they will be seen. However, the same essential technology that is used to create a small (or large) work of art intended to attract attention can also be used quietly, almost invisibly, to help remedy aesthetic problems resulting from injury or other skin and hair issues.

As a general term, “permanent makeup” refers to the injection of pigment into the skin using a tattoo pen. While it is sought out by some hoping to escape the need for a daily routine requiring them to apply eyeliner, lip liner, lipstick, eyebrow pencils, etc., permanent makeup also can also play a special role in helping to restore the natural appearance of areas that have been damaged in some way.

Such procedures can be completed relatively quickly, requiring only local anesthetic in the areas where the pigment is being applied.

Eyebrows, Eyelashes, Hair Lines

Chemotherapy can cause a significant thinning of both eyebrows and eyelashes. The hair that has been lost may or may not return once your treatment has been completed.

Repigmentation in the area of the eyebrows can help to restore the balance of your face, restoring the essence of a facial feature that plays a significant role in your overall appearance. Your eyebrows frame your eyes, a function so central to your appearance that some have even suggested that well-maintained eyebrows make any other sort of makeup unnecessary.

A lash tattoo, or permanent eyeliner (or both), can further offset the effects of hair loss in these areas. Some patients choose to have these procedures done prior to beginning chemotherapy, in an effort to minimize the changes in their appearance as they go through treatment.

Alopecia, a skin disease that affects nearly seven million Americans, also causes hair loss. Permanent eye makeup can be a blessing to those affected by this condition.

These procedures can also be used to bring relief to those experiencing the effects of a compulsive disorder known as trichotillomania, a term whose root words combine to mean “an obsession to pull out hair.” This word may be unfamiliar to you, but the illness affects about two and a half million people in the United States alone.

Precise techniques can also be used to realistically simulate hairlines, camouflage uneven patches resulting from hair transplants, or reduce the visibility of bald spots.

Scarring

Depending on their location and visual characteristics, scars can be an aggravating, unwanted and seemingly inescapable element of one’s appearance. This is particularly true in the case of facial scars.

Permanent makeup can be used to camouflage scars resulting from injuries or surgery. The application of pigment can help create a more even skin tone, reducing the contrast between the scarred tissue and the tissue surrounding it. An examination and consultation with your cosmetic surgeon will give you a good idea how much such a procedure can be expected to improve your specific problem.

In some instances, the location or appearance of a birthmark can be a source of introversion or embarrassment. The same permanent makeup techniques that can bring cosmetic camouflage to scars can also be used to make birthmarks less prominent.
The skin condition known as Rosacea can also leave unwanted marks on the skin whose visibility can be reduced by the application skilled application of pigment.

Perhaps it is ironic, but this particular application of the same process of applying pigmentation that is used to create a tattoo can be an effective “last step” in the tattoo removal process in the event that a scar or other damage remains after a tattoo has been removed.

What to Expect After a Procedure

As is the case with many cosmetic procedures, it will take some time before you can behold the “final” results. The colors of the pigment applied will initially appear more vivid and will begin to fade over time. (If you have had a tattoo, or have followed the progress of a tattoo received by a friend, you may already be familiar with this phenomenon.)

You may also experience some skin redness and irritation. As the healing process nears its end, a crust may form over the treated area.

Choose Your Practitioner Carefully

Most of the procedures that have been discussed above involve cosmetic alteration of the most visible portion of your body, your face. It’s the first thing people notice about you, the most obvious “calling card” in your interactions with others. Whether it truly defines everything about you is another matter, of course, but the point is that the appearance of your face matters.

If you are seeking relief from some cosmetic aspect of your facial appearance, the last thing that you want is to invest in a treatment that does not result in a tangible improvement, or that leaves you with another issue that is equally distracting. It’s vital that you choose a skilled cosmetic practitioner, that you read testimonials from patients and that you have a chance to see patient photographs.

Fortunately, in the age of the internet this work is easier to do than ever. With some patience and study, you should be well on your way to reaching your aesthetic goals and a well-deserved boost in self confidence.